EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants left tackle Andrew Thomas underwent surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury Tuesday and will miss the rest of the 2024 season, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Thomas, 25, is expected to be fully recovered for organized team activities next year, the source told Schefter.

The injury occurred in the third quarter of Sunday night's 17-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals at MetLife Stadium. Thomas played through it but could be seen limping badly as the game progressed.

"Not great," he said afterward of how he felt. Thomas added that he was "fighting" through the pain.

The second-team All-Pro in 2022 underwent tests Monday that showed the severity of the injury. Additional opinions confirmed it to be serious.

Losing Thomas is a massive blow for the Giants. Their offensive line has made significant strides this season after years of struggles, and Thomas has been a stalwart at left tackle. He ranks 25th among all offensive tackles this season with a pass block win rate of 88.9% after stumbling through Sunday night's game matched against Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson.

Thomas, who signed a five-year, $117 million contract extension last summer, is ninth among all offensive tackles with a 91.8% pass block win rate since the start of 2022.

It's the second straight year that Thomas will miss extended time. He hurt a hamstring last season in Week 1 and missed seven games. The Giants' offensive line struggled badly without him, and his injury while trying to chase down a blocked field goal on the opening possession of the season was looked at as a pivotal moment last year.

Third-year tackle Joshua Ezeudu is the most likely option to replace Thomas in the lineup. He was the second-team left tackle throughout the summer.

The Giants (2-4) also have Evan Neal as a reserve tackle on the bench. But they have been resistant to moving the No. 7 pick in 2022 from right tackle. Among their options is putting Neal at right tackle and shifting veteran Jermaine Eluemunor from the right side to the left. Eluemunor has started seven career games at left tackle.

We are two games into both 2024 League Championship Series, and it's time for our snap judgements based on what we've seen so far.

The NLCS is tied after dominant offensive performances carried the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets to wins at Dodger Stadium.

In the ALCS, the New York Yankees overpowered the Cleveland Guardians both nights in the Bronx to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

What has stood out most so far? Who are the early MVPs of each series? And what's next for the World Series hopefuls? Our MLB experts weigh in.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Mets

Who is the two-games-in MVP of this NLCS?

Alden Gonzalez: It's pretty remarkable to consider the rarity of Jack Flaherty's accomplishment for the Dodgers in Game 1. With seven scoreless innings in L.A.'s 9-0 win, he became the first Dodgers starter since 2021 to complete at least six innings in the postseason, breaking a streak of 20 games. The last time someone threw seven scoreless in the playoffs? Clayton Kershaw, in the first round in 2020. The Dodgers have had a lot of starting pitching issues in October -- perhaps never more so than this year, with so many key arms injured. Flaherty, who lines up to start again in Game 5, needs to keep pitching deep into games. So do Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler. This team can't win a championship without it.

Bradford Doolittle: It's got to be a tie, because we've had two completely different games that now leave us dead even. So it's Jack Flaherty for his seven goose eggs in Game 1, tied with Mark Vientos for his nine-pitch grand slam in Game 2.

David Schoenfield: One thing that's clear -- as seems to be the case every October with the Dodgers -- is that Dave Roberts' decisions will factor heavily into the results of this series. In the end, it's the players who win and lose the games, and Roberts tends to receive too much of the blame when the Dodgers lose, but in this postseason, he has managed a masterful bullpen game to beat the San Diego Padres in what might have been peak Roberts. But in Game 2 of the ALCS, he issued the ill-advised intentional walk to Francisco Lindor, setting up Mark Vientos' grand slam. In general, walking the bases loaded is a bad idea, since there is no margin for error with the next batter. So that decision backfired in a big way. It all means Roberts has the potential to be the MVP of the series ... or the goat (lower-case version).

Which lineup has impressed you most so far?

Gonzalez: Neither? The Dodgers have combined for a .658 OPS through the first two games of this series. The Mets? .639. The Dodgers are 6-for-20 with runners in scoring position, while the Mets are 4-for-15. The Dodgers have left 29 runners on base, but the Mets aren't far behind at 24. Simply put, it's early in this series, hitting is harder this time of year and neither team has separated itself. I think the Dodgers' lineup is deeper and possesses more upside, but it needs some key guys to get going -- primarily Will Smith, who's 2-for-23 in the playoffs, and Shohei Ohtani, who's 0-for-19 with the bases empty.

Doolittle: In what is a surprise to me, I'd say the Mets. The Dodgers have some guys either struggling (Will Smith, kinda-sorta Shohei Ohtani), at less than full capacity (Freddie Freeman, Gavin Lux) or on the roster more for versatility reasons than for offensive production. The Mets have a roster of hitters who go more than nine deep and can be adapted to a number of in-game pitching changes.

Schoenfield: As long as Ohtani continues to scuffle a bit, I'll go with the Mets. They're a little deeper one to nine and also have some options off the bench, while the Dodgers are stuck with the likes of a defensive replacement in Kevin Kiermaier and a weak-hitting utility player in Chris Taylor. The Mets do need to get something out of Jose Iglesias, who was the big surprise in the regular season (hitting .337/.381/.448) but hasn't done much in the playoffs (.222/.263/.222).

What has surprised you most about the Dodgers so far in this series?

Gonzalez: That their bullpen strategy backfired so drastically in Game 2. It was because Alex Vesia isn't available in this round, Daniel Hudson was unavailable for Game 2, and (mostly) because Landon Knack allowed five runs in the second inning. When the Dodgers shut out the Padres with eight relievers in Game 4 of the division series, Knack didn't pitch until the ninth, when the game was already out of hand. Before Monday, that was the only inning he had pitched in about two weeks. The Dodgers would prefer not to use a bulk reliever for games when one of their traditional starters doesn't take the ball. But it appears they don't have a choice at this point. They don't have enough arms.

Doolittle: The way Ohtani finished the season, I fully expected one of those 1.300 OPS postseasons from him that defy the challenges of facing playoff pitching. So far, that has not been the case, and at times, he has looked a little lost against breaking pitches. Othani has still had his moments, and it was a good sign that rather than getting antsy in Game 2 he still took a couple of walks. I don't expect his uneven production to continue much longer.

Schoenfield: How much they're suddenly relying on Enrique Hernandez as a key contributor -- and might need to continue to do so. In the final two games of the NLDS and Game 1 of the NLCS, he went 5-for-11 with four runs scored, and the Dodgers won all three games.

And what about the Mets?

Gonzalez: The Mets were at times a mess on the bases and on defense early this season, then they got rolling and seemed to tighten up. But they've made some pretty glaring mistakes in both departments through the first couple of games in this series. They were finally starting to rally in the fifth inning of Game 1, getting back-to-back hits, but then Jesse Winker got deked by Enrique Hernandez, who threw behind him from center field and got him caught in a rundown. In the sixth inning of Game 2, they almost blew a big lead, with Jose Iglesias botching a tailor-made double-play ball and Pete Alonso failing to corral another grounder that went for a two-run single. They need to clean it up.

Doolittle: Vientos was going well during the regular season, but he has been the most impactful hitter of the playoffs overall. That trajectory has continued with his Game 2 slam. Vientos, just to remind everyone, started the season in Syracuse, partly because of a roster crunch, but also because he had real issues to work through in terms of approach. You expect shortcomings like that to be exposed in October, but Vientos has been the one exposing pitchers instead. I'm not shocked he has been good, but I'm very surprised at just how good.

Schoenfield: Not a surprise, but did Edwin Diaz finally find his fastball in the ninth inning of Game 2? Diaz has been an adventure all postseason, struggling to throw strikes, but after the first two Dodgers reached, he threw 13 consecutive fastballs and struck out Mookie Betts, Teoscar Hernandez and Freddie Freeman (getting Freeman on a slider). That version of Diaz looked unbeatable.

What is one thing each team needs to do from here to take control of this series?

Gonzalez: The Dodgers need their starting pitchers to be effective. It'll probably be Buehler, Yamamoto and Flaherty, in that order, pitching the next three games at Citi Field. If the series shifts back to L.A., the Dodgers will have to stage a bullpen game at some point. And their preference would be to utilize only their high-leverage arms rather than someone like Knack or Brent Honeywell to take down bulk innings. That only has a chance of happening if they get production from their starting rotation. The Mets need to continue to neutralize Ohtani and Betts at the top of the order. The two of them have combined to go 3-for-15 with five walks, which isn't terrible but also isn't great. Given how hobbled Freeman is behind them, taming those two will be key to the Mets' chances.

Doolittle: Baseball isn't really a "one thing" kind of sport, but among the options, the Dodgers need the bottom of their order to get on base. It's not that I exactly buy into the Ohtani empty-base split, but it's certainly true that the more he and Betts hit with runners on, the higher the scores are going to be for L.A. For the Mets, it's a matter of taking advantage of the lower tier of the L.A. playoff pitching staff. They did that in Game 2, and based on what we've seen this season, they have an immediate opportunity with Buehler. But the Dodgers have a lot of pitchers who are dealing, so the Mets have to make hay while they can.

Schoenfield: I'm sticking with Ohtani has to hit for the Dodgers, since it's still likely their questionable starting pitching/bullpen games will surrender some runs. For the Mets, the starters have to pitch deep into games, given even the top Mets relievers don't inspire a lot of confidence.

New York Yankees vs. Cleveland Guardians

Who is the two-games-in MVP of this ALCS?

Jorge Castillo: The Yankees have struggled hitting with runners in scoring position (2-for-17), but they've generated plenty of traffic on the basepaths, and Gleyber Torres has been a big factor there. The second baseman has reached base in five of his nine plate appearances from the leadoff spot. He has scored three of the Yankees' 11 runs. He has been instrumental in applying early pressure, delivering a single in the first inning in Game 1 and a double in the first inning in Game 2. He was on base for Aaron Judge's home run in Game 2 and has done his job setting the table for Juan Soto and Judge exceptionally well. It has fueled the Yankees' offense.

Jeff Passan: Carlos Rodón's dominant Game 1 outing helped the Yankees secure a lead in the series and allowed manager Aaron Boone to avoid overtaxing his best relievers ahead of Game 2. If the Yankees can win one of the next two games, Rodón will be in line to finish the series in Game 5 -- and if he can manage another similar start, he'll almost certainly get the actual award. Honorable mention goes to Juan Soto, who has the highest on-base percentage (.625) and slugging percentage (1.000) of any hitter in either LCS.

David Schoenfield: Let's give a shout-out to the Yankees' bullpen, which has been stellar throughout the postseason so far with three runs allowed (just two earned) in 23 innings and tossed a strong 4 innings to hold the lead in Game 2. Clay Holmes has found his early-season groove, Tim Hill has gotten some key lefties out, Tommy Kahnle got four outs on Tuesday and Luke Weaver has locked it down in the ninth (although he did serve up a home run to Jose Ramirez in Game 2). We always talk about a bullpen getting hot at the right time, and New York's is hot right now.

Has Aaron Judge finally broken out?

Castillo: Who knows? Maybe the home run in Game 2 is the start of one of his trademark barrages. Maybe it'll ease the pressure some. But it's Aaron Judge. It was always just a matter of time before he figured things out and started clobbering baseballs again. The question was whether the Yankees could afford to wait until he did. The way this series is going, it looks like they can.

Passan: Yes. When Judge hits home runs, they tend to come in bunches, and this wasn't some short-porch cheapie. Hunter Gaddis' fastball works exceptionally at the top of the zone -- he had allowed only one home run off the 230 such pitches he threw in the upper-third or higher this season -- and Judge turned it around in a hurry. The ball left his bat at 111.3 mph, landed 414 feet away in center field and portends the sort of run that has a chance to flip the narrative on the Yankees' captain in the postseason.

Schoenfield: Well, it was certainly the most overanalyzed 17 at-bats in recent memory before Judge finally homered in his 18th. It does feel like his plate appearances have been improving, including a sac fly in Game 1 and another one in Game 2 prior to the home run. Now toss in the home run, and let's just say the Guardians better be very wary of the big guy moving forward.

What do the Guardians most need to do to get back into this series?

Castillo: They need to score more runs. Five runs in two games isn't going to cut it against a team as talented as the Yankees. And it starts with Jose Ramirez. The star third baseman was 0-for-7 with a walk before swatting a home run in the ninth inning of Game 2. He and the rest of the offense will need to do more of that. The bullpen, as good as it is, needs more support.

Passan: To start playing like themselves again. The Guardians won 92 games and the American League Central because they play a good brand of baseball. They had the second-most defensive runs saved this season -- and you don't do that by dropping popups and bobbling balls in the outfield. They had the best bullpen ERA by more than half a run -- and you don't do that by issuing five wild pitches in a playoff game. The Cleveland team of the first two games is not the Cleveland team of the 162 during the regular season or the five in the division series. The Yankees are good enough already. The Guardians' gift-giving season needs to end now.

Schoenfield: Not make mistakes. They don't have the firepower to overcome their shoddy play in the first two games. In Game 1, it was seven walks and five wild pitches (four of them by Joey Cantillo). In Game 2, there were a few defensive miscues, including two errors that led to two unearned runs. It's no fun having a weapon like Emmanuel Clase in the bullpen and not being able to get the ball to him with a lead. But that has to start with cleaner baseball (oh, and getting some hits with runners in scoring position, after going 1-for-11 the first two games).

At Grove Park Squash Club in Cheadle, we are passionate about getting new players into the game, writes Chris Sargent.

One of the biggest blockers is the obsession with a double yellow, regardless of the standard. This kills beginners enjoyment of the game. 

So, we set about thinking how to make the decision as to which ball to use simple.

READ MORE: Our Right Ball Squash Ball campaign

This home-made Squash Ball Temperature Sensor will do just that.

The idea is that players warm up with the double dot as they would normally. Come off court and pop it in the sensor. If it is two cold, it will suggest they switch to a single yellow, if it is marginal, it will indicate that, and if it is hot enough, suggest they just crack on.

So, to support the Squash Mad Right Ball Campaign, here are some instructions for clubs to build there own Ball Temperature Check device. Components cost somewhere between 20 and 30. I only used the Seeed Studio Xiao nRF52840 because I had it hanging around not doing anything. 

It would be easy enough to use a different microcontroller with only slight modifications (ChatGPT is your friend!!)

I have set the temperature range as below:

• < 29 Degrees shows a single solid yellow use a one spot yellow
• >29 Degrees <33 Degrees Shows flashing double yellow marginal, think about a one spot
• >33 degrees use a double dot

Now, whether these are the right values is debatable, this just seemed to be a consensus.

And here is a demo of the device:

As you can see immediately, I am no carpenter

1. Parts List

To build this device, youll need the following components:

Electronics:

• Seeed Studio Xiao nRF52840 (microcontroller)
• MLX90614 Infrared Temperature Sensor (for measuring ball temperature)
• 2x Yellow LEDs (for visual feedback)
• 2x 220Ω resistors (for current limiting with the LEDs)
• USB-C cable (for powering the Xiao and uploading code)
• Jumper wires (for connecting components)

Tools:

• Soldering iron (optional but recommended for secure connections)
• Breadboard (for testing connections before soldering)
• 3D printer or craft materials (for building an enclosure)

2. Device Build Instructions

Step 1: Connect the MLX90614 to the Xiao

1. SCL (clock) on the MLX90614 goes to the A4 (SCL) pin on the Xiao.
2. SDA (data) on the MLX90614 goes to the A5 (SDA) pin on the Xiao.
3. VCC (power) on the MLX90614 goes to the 3.3V pin on the Xiao.
4. GND on the MLX90614 goes to any GND pin on the Xiao.

Step 2: Connect the LEDs

1. First LED (for <29C):
   • Anode (+) to pin D1 on the Xiao.
   • Cathode (-) through a 220Ω resistor to GND.
2. Second LED (for flashing and >33C):
   • Anode (+) to pin D2 on the Xiao.
   • Cathode (-) through a 220Ω resistor to GND.

Step 3: Power the Device

• Connect the Xiao to a USB-C cable, which will provide power and allow you to upload the code.

Step 4: Test Your Connections

• Use a breadboard for initial testing to ensure everything is connected correctly before soldering.
• Once tested, solder the connections for a more permanent build.

3. Programming Instructions

Step 1: Install Arduino IDE

1. Download and install the Arduino IDE from arduino.cc.
2. In the Arduino IDE, install support for Seeed Studio Xiao nRF52840:
   • Go to File > Preferences and add the following URL in the Additional Board Manager URLs field:

https://files.seeedstudio.com/arduino/package_seeeduino_boards_index.json

• Go to Tools > Board > Board Manager and search for Seeeduino nRF52 to install the package.

Step 2: Install Required Libraries

1. Go to Sketch > Include Library > Manage Libraries.
2. Search for and install the Adafruit MLX90614 library.

Step 3: Upload the Code

1. Copy the code below into a new Arduino sketch:

1. Select the Xiao board under Tools > Board > Seeeduino nRF52 Boards > Seeed Xiao nRF52840.
2. Select the correct COM port under Tools > Port.
3. Click the Upload button to upload the code to your Xiao.

4. Tips for Building an Enclosure

Material Options:

• 3D Printing: A 3D-printed enclosure is the most customizable option. You can design a box with an opening for the infrared sensor and slots for the LEDs.
• Acrylic or Perspex: Ensure any enclosure allows the sensor to have a direct line of sight to the ball. Avoid materials like perspex or plastic in front of the sensor, as they may interfere with infrared readings.
• Simply Plywood: Key thing is to make sure that the sensor has a clear line of site to the ball, within 3 cm, and the hold for the sensor does not interfere with the line if site (35 degree view angle) i.e. if it is think ply, the hole needs to be big!
• Foam or Plastic Housing: If you dont have access to a 3D printer, using lightweight plastic or foam board can work to build a simple enclosure that holds the components securely.

Important Considerations:

1. Direct Line of Sight for the Sensor: The MLX90614 sensor should not be obstructed by any material that interferes with infrared measurements. Ensure the sensor has a direct line of sight to the ball.
2. LED Visibility: Place the LEDs so that users can easily see them from outside the enclosure.
3. Ventilation: If the components heat up, ensure theres proper ventilation to avoid affecting the sensor readings.
4. Mounting the Sensor: Ensure the sensor is securely mounted and positioned about 1-3 cm from where the ball will be placed.

Final Notes:

• Testing: After building the device and uploading the code, test it with a real squash ball at different temperatures to ensure it works as expected.
• Adjustments: If you notice temperature inaccuracies due to mounting or distance issues, adjust the distance between the sensor and the ball or fine-tune the temperature thresholds in the code.

Gloucester-Hartpury head coach Sean Lynn says he is proud of his team's "adaptability" after taking maximum points from their first two league games this season.

The two-time defending Women's Premiership Rugby champions secured a bonus-point win away at Harlequins Saturday, following a big victory against Leicester in the opening round.

They are just behind early leaders Saracens on points difference as they aim to become the first club to win three titles simultaneously.

"Super proud of the girls of what they have achieved in these last two games," Lynn told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"To go to Harlequins away on Saturday was pretty impressive, to get bonus-point wins I'm really proud of the girls ."

Gloucester-Hartpury have been hit hard by the start of the new campaign clashing with the WXV tournament, and have been without 21 international players for their first two games.

Younger players have come into the squad while others have been played out of their usual positions.

"I mentioned to the girls last night that adaptability, and that becomes a real good winning team," Lynn said.

"To have the new 10 come in - Millie Hyett who hasn't played 10 since Ealing at home last year which was in April time - and then when you've got Pip Hendy at 12 whose never played at 12 before. The maturity them two showed was outstanding.

"It just goes to show the adaptability and the pathway coming through."

Scotland confirmed their place in next year's Rugby World Cup in England, with the tournament draw taking place on Thursday.

"The big goal for us was to be top eight [in the world rankings]," Easson added.

"That meant we know that we'll get one of New Zealand, England, Canada or France.

"We then know that within the next pot you've got Wales, you've got USA, South Africa and Japan, and then you've got Spain, Samoa, Fiji and Brazil.

"So it's going to be an exciting draw for us because there will be opportunity for us to really have a go at it and get to, we believe, the knockout stages.

"The top pot you could take anybody - it doesn't matter who you get in there, it's going to be a tough shift against those teams.

"But we know that any team we get, we'll give them a good game because that's what our target is and that's what we're going for."

The law firm at the centre of rugby union's concussion lawsuit is being investigated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority after a former England player alleged he was pressurised into joining its group claim.

Former prop Will Green told The Telegraph, external that Richard Boardman of Rylands Garth encouraged him to sign up to the litigation even after a second scan, arranged independently of the legal action, found no signs of brain damage.

When Green refused to join the "no win, no fee" claim, he was charged thousands of pounds in legal and medical fees by Rylands Garth.

The Telegraph reported that the firm's attempt to force the 50-year-old to pay up was dismissed in court, with the judge ruling Rylands Garth misrepresented its services and a letter of engagement was "at very best, vague, muddled and highly confusing".

Green, who won four England caps and played for Wasps and Leinster, retired in 2007.

He said that, despite telling Rylands Garth of a second contradictory diagnosis, they "still pressed me to sign up for the group action, sending multiple emails pressuring me.

He added: "To do so would have perpetrated a fraud on the court because the claimant's medical experts' diagnosis was found to be wrong.

"Yet, despite this, the claimant still tried to pursue me to sign up to the group litigation."

Following additional information in the court case, we can confirm that we will be looking into this before deciding on next steps, said an SRA spokesperson.

In a statement issued on Monday, Rylands Garth said: "At no point was Mr Green lied to and that's not what the court found.

"We believe the 37-page letter of engagement Mr Green entered into was very clear.

"We represent around 900 claimants who have suffered a form of brain injury playing the sports they adored. None have been asked to pay anything for their testing."

However, players are at risk of being billed retrospectively by Rylands Garth if they withdraw from the lawsuit following initial testing.

"We use highly sophisticated testing, which experts consider the best in the world, rather than the less sophisticated testing used by the NHS," the firm continued.

"Mr Green's tests were undertaken by two highly experienced neuro-specialists, but he disagreed with the results and decided to leave the action. We asked him to pay for some of those costs, in line with the letter of engagement."

Rylands Garth represents 295 former professional amateur rugby players including World Cup winners Steve Thompson, Phil Vickery and Mark Regan. It is also organising similar claims in rugby league and football.

The claimants allege rugby union's governing bodies failed to put in place reasonable measures to protect their health and safety.

The Rugby Football Union made free brain health checks available to retired players who meet certain criteria in November 2021., external World Rugby wants to support similar services throughout the game., external

A trial date for the lawsuit will not be set until 2025 at the earliest.

Centre Henry Slade and flanker Tom Curry have recovered from injury to make England's 36-man squad for the autumn internationals, but first-choice scrum-half Alex Mitchell is out with a neck problem.

Slade had shoulder surgery after the summer tour to New Zealand and has not played for Exeter yet this season, while Sale's Curry made his return from a concussion lay-off in Friday's win over Newcastle.

Mitchell's absence means Ben Spencer, Jack van Poortvliet and Harry Randall are the three named scrum-halves.

Sale's George Ford will continue his rehabiltation from a torn quad muscle as part of the squad, with Marcus Smith and Fin Smith the other specialist stand-offs.

Elsewhere Harlequins centre Luke Northmore replaces the injured Fraser Dingwall, with Saracens' Alex Lozowski, hunting his first cap in six years, and Ollie Lawrence the other midfield options.

Back row Tom Willis fails to make the squad despite an impressive start to the season, but Tom Curry's twin brother Ben is included, along with Harlequins number eight Alex Dombrandt, who is on the way back from a broken hand.

Exeter's Ethan Roots and Northampton's Tom Pearson are also left out after attending a three-day training camp earlier this month, along with Harlequins back Oscar Beard.

There is no place for Bristol pair Gabriel Ibitoye and Gabriel Oghre and Bath back row Ted Hill's strong form has failed to force Borthwick's hand.

England begin their autumn campaign against New Zealand on 2 November, before matches against Australia, South Africa and Japan.

"Facing New Zealand in the opening match is a tremendous opportunity for us to test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world," said head coach Steve Borthwick.

"Having only played at Allianz Stadium twice in our last 15 games, it will be fantastic to return and play in front of our home crowd."

England suffered narrow defeats, by one point and seven points respectively, in their two Tests against New Zealand in the summer.

This autumn will be the first test of a new-look England backroom staff with defence coach Joe El-Abd in position after Felix Jones' resignation from the post in September.

Englands 36-player squad:

Forwards

Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester), Dan Cole (Leicester), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Ben Curry (Sale), Tom Curry (Sale), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton), Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins), Ben Earl (Saracens), Charlie Ewels (Bath), Ellis Genge (Bristol), Jamie George (Saracens) Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Joe Marler (Harlequins), George Martin (Leicester), Will Stuart (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath).

Backs

Elliot Daly (Saracens), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter), Tommy Freeman (Northampton), George Furbank (Northampton), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Luke Northmore (Harlequins), Harry Randall (Bristol), Tom Roebuck (Sale), Henry Slade (Exeter), Ollie Sleightholme (Northampton), Fin Smith (Northampton), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath), Freddie Steward (Leicester), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester)

Rehabilitation: George Ford (Sale)

Not considered for selection: Alex Coles (Northampton), Joe Cokanasiga (Bath), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton), Alex Mitchell (Northampton), Will Muir (Bath), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Raffi Quirke (Sale), Bevan Rodd (Sale).

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin is the 60th player in NHL history to record 700 career assists, reaching the milestone with his second point Tuesday night in the Washington Capitals' 4-2 victory against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Ovechkin had a secondary assist on Tom Wilson's power-play goal early in the second period, then set up linemate Aliaksei Protas a few minutes later.

"He makes that play happen on that goal," coach Spencer Carbery said. "Great job using his feet, cuts back, finds space. That's a huge play in that moment."

A video montage of his assists played on arena video boards at the ensuing timeout, and Ovechkin waved to fans who gave him a standing ovation.

"It's because of lots of shots, lots of rebounds coming from the net, so I'll take it," Ovechkin said.

Second on the career goal-scoring list with 853, Ovechkin has three assists through his first two games of the season. The 39-year-old winger is 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's record that long seemed unapproachable.

Ovechkin is the sixth player with 700 goals and 700 assists, joining Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito. He credited playing 20 years in the league for his latest accomplishment.

"It's a pretty big number," Ovechkin said. "Nice to be in that company."

Ovechkin would need another 1,304 points to tie Gretzky, the "Great One," who has more assists than anyone else in hockey has points.

The second game of the season came with the 39-year-old playing some right wing, shifting from the left side that has been his position for the vast majority of his career. He acknowledged it was difficult to adjust at first.

"You adjust, neutral zone, defensive zone, and especially in the offensive zone you're moving around," Ovechkin said. "It doesn't matter for me. First couple shifts were kind of like, 'Whoa.' It's always like I wanted to go to the left side. But we'll see how it goes."

TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Lightning won their hurricane-delayed home opener over the Vancouver Canucks, but the impact of two recent major hurricanes overshadowed it.

Debris, malfunctioning stoplights and power outages remain around the Tampa Bay area a week after Hurricane Milton devastated parts of Florida. Milton came on the heels of Hurricane Helene, which also hit the region hard.

"This is different," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "We've kind of been in this position before a few years ago but not quite like this. There's disarray everywhere. There's many people still in hotels, including myself. It's been really tough to see how people are negatively affected."

But there are signs of encouragement.

There was a standing ovation late in the second period, and it wasn't for any of the Tampa Bay players. It was for a group of power company workers from Vancouver who are assisting in recovery efforts.

"How about the ovation that the Vancouver linemen got when they showed them on the big screen?" Cooper asked. "I'm normally not looking up there a ton, but that was a pretty moving moment for me. And it just shows you there's a lot of good out there. When people come out and help each other it does make you feel good."

A food drive and other activities took place outside Amalie Arena before the Lightning's 4-1 win Tuesday night over the Canucks.

Discount tickets were available, and there was a pregame video on the scoreboard about the storms and the role of first responders.

The Lightning Foundation pledged an additional $1 million toward relief to its $2 million original commitment and recovery efforts.

"With everything going on, it's kind of nice to have everyone come in here and let a little stress go," Lightning forward Nick Paul said.

Tampa Bay's scheduled home opener last Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes was postponed. The Lightning spent most of last week in Raleigh, North Carolina, before beating the Hurricanes 4-1 on Friday night.